Princeton University has announced that it received a $10 million donation from an anonymous donor to be used in the construction of a new music building. The university hasn't given any hints as to whom the donor is, but we know that they'll ultimately be in charge of naming the building and that they and their wife attended Princeton (from Billboard).
"Attending Princeton was a formative experience," read a statement from the donor. "It was there that I developed a deep and lasting interest in the arts. When my wife and I visited campus and witnessed the engagement, curiosity and passion of so many students in so many areas of arts study, the decision to be a part of the team in promoting the arts at Princeton was an easy one."
The building, due to open during 2017, will feature 23,000 square feet of space, as well as a performance/rehearsal space with adjustable acoustics, and a digital recording studio. The project was designed by architect Stephen Holl. You can check out a video detailing the specs for the building below.
Princeton might not be the world's most prominent music school but it has had a number of successful alumni over the years, including acclaimed Broadway producer Roger Berlind.
A number of famous musicians have given generously to university music programs after finding more-than-typical success in the industry. UCLA's school of music is named after Herb Alpert (who actually attended USC), who found fame and fortune with the Tijuana Brass and by founding A&M Records. The University of Southern California got a break later however, when Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine gave a chunk of their Beats profits so that the school could establish the Academy for Arts Technology and The Business of Innovation. Odds are the money for Princeton's new addition came from someone outside of the music industry however.
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